RUTO'S RIFT VALLEY RIFTS OVER POLITICAL CLASHES

Political temperatures are rising in Uasin Gishu County, President William Ruto's home turf, as public feuds, succession battles and emerging political alliances expose growing cracks within the region's political establishment ahead of the 2027 General Election.

At the centre of the unfolding contest is an escalating fallout between Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and Senator Jackson Mandago, a rivalry that has increasingly drawn in other leaders and sparked debate over the county's development record.

Mandago, alongside Soy MP David Kiplagat and Kesses MP Julius Ruto, has mounted sustained criticism of Governor Bii's administration, accusing it of failing to complete key projects initiated during his tenure as governor. The leaders have cited stalled health facilities and road projects, while also questioning the county government's decision to lease road construction machinery.

The senator argues that his administration had already acquired sufficient equipment to undertake road works, making the leasing arrangement unnecessary.

Governor Bii has dismissed the accusations and challenged his critics over their commitment to President Ruto and the ruling UDA party. He has also accused some leaders of gravitating towards former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's political camp, deepening an already tense political atmosphere.

The rivalry is unfolding alongside other political battles in the county. Recent public exchanges between Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei have further highlighted divisions among leaders who have traditionally belonged to the same political fold.

At the same time, succession politics are beginning to take shape. Governor Bii has reportedly endorsed lawyer Isaac Terer in a bid to challenge Mandago for the Senate seat in 2027, setting the stage for another high-stakes contest in the county.

The political landscape has become even more intriguing with the return of former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, a longtime critic of President Ruto. Keter has joined the Linda Mwananchi movement associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and says he intends to take the campaign against the Kenya Kwanza administration into the Rift Valley.

Speaking shortly after joining the movement, Keter said he was not interested in contesting any elective seat in 2027 but would instead focus on mobilising support against President Ruto.

"The current regime has done nothing to uplift the social economic status of Kenyans, I am teaming up with like minded leaders like Sifuna and Babu Owino to try liberate this country," Keter said.

Keter also revealed plans to hold a series of political rallies across the Rift Valley region, a move that could give the Linda Mwananchi movement a foothold in an area that has traditionally been a stronghold of President Ruto and his allies.

Despite his criticism of the government, the former lawmaker insisted that his opposition to the President was not personal, but rather based on what he views as the country's current direction under the Kenya Kwanza administration.

The developments have led many observers to view Uasin Gishu as one of the earliest battlegrounds in the race towards 2027. With leaders openly decampaigning one another, new alliances emerging and long-standing rivalries resurfacing, the county is increasingly becoming a focal point of political realignments in the Rift Valley.

Whether President Ruto will intervene to ease the tensions among leaders in his political backyard remains to be seen. For now, however, the growing feuds between allies, the Senate succession contest and the arrival of new opposition voices suggest that the contest for influence in Uasin Gishu is already well underway.